Golden passport revoked: Lalit Modi’s safe haven vanishes as Vanuatu shuts its doors

Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat has ordered the island nation’s citizenship commission to immediately cancel alleged fugitive Lalit Modi’s Vanuatu passport, following recent media reports about the businessman’s legal troubles in India. The directive was issued in a press release dated March 10, which was made public recently.

“While all standard background checks, including Interpol screenings, conducted during his application showed no criminal convictions, I have been made aware in the past 24 hours that Interpol twice rejected Indian authorities’ requests to issue an alert notice on Lalit Modi due to a lack of substantive judicial evidence. Any such alert would have triggered an automatic rejection of Modi’s citizenship application,” said PM Napat.

The head of the South Pacific Ocean nation emphasised that citizenship is a privilege, not a right, and applicants must have genuine reasons for seeking it—excluding any attempt to evade legal proceedings or extradition. He stated that recent findings confirm that Lalit Modi sought citizenship to avoid extradition.

Over the past four years, Vanuatu has significantly strengthened its citizenship-by-investment programme, enhancing due diligence with triple-agency checks, including Interpol verification. As a result, more applications have been rejected by the country’s financial intelligence unit under stricter vetting procedures.

Vanuatu, with a population of around 300,000, is known for its lucrative Golden Passport programme, which allows wealthy individuals to obtain citizenship by paying $150,000 (₹1.3 crore). The programme is attractive due to its minimal documentation requirements, an entirely online process, and swift approval within a month—without requiring applicants to visit the country. A major advantage of a Vanuatu passport is visa-free access to over 107 countries, including the UK and several European nations, according to reports.

What case is Lalit Modi accused in?

Lalit Modi, the 61-year-old former chairman and architect of the IPL, is reportedly under investigation for alleged financial irregularities, including embezzlement of crores during his tenure. He is accused of foreign exchange violations and misconduct related to the ₹425 crore IPL 2009 TV rights deal with World Sports Group. After attending a single round of questioning with Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Mumbai, he fled to the UK in May 2010 and is believed to be residing in London.

Modi, credited with launching the IPL in 2008, reportedly played a key role in shifting the 2009 edition to South Africa, demonstrating the league’s global value. However, after IPL 2010, the BCCI suspended him over alleged misconduct and financial irregularities, including rigging bids for new franchises in Pune and Kochi. Following an internal probe, the board banned him for life in 2013.

India’s response to the recent developments

India's High Commissioner to New Zealand, Neeta Bhushan, along with diplomats from some island nations, reportedly played a key role in securing the cancellation of Lalit Modi’s Vanuatu passport. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also confirmed that Modi, who left India in 2010, submitted an application to surrender his Indian passport on March 7.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Modi applied for passport surrender at the Indian High Commission in London, and the request will be reviewed as per existing rules. He further noted that Modi had acquired Vanuatu citizenship, adding that India will continue pursuing the case against him in accordance with legal procedures, ANI reported.

With Vanuatu revoking his passport, Lalit Modi’s legal troubles could escalate as his options for safe havens shrink. It remains to be seen whether this development strengthens India’s efforts to bring him back.